Goodbyes
by Matt Ryan
Summary: Inspired by "Piccolo's Heartbeat" and my own experiences, this tells the story of Goku dying of the heart virus, and everyone's last goodbyes. This is dedicated to my father.


Goodbyes

The life-weary boy looked down upon the other who was older, but yet never seemed to age. He was blessed, for that man he looked upon was his father. There were others in the room, sure, but he payed them no heed. He was going to lose the one man that mattered to him most, and he thought nothing would ever be the same again.

"Dad?" asked Gohan, still gripping tightly to his father's hand, "I... I'm not sure what's going on. I've never dealt with something like this before."

"You've dealt with worse." Goku smiled hazily, almost drifting off. The heart virus was taking it's toll, and the doctors had predicted Goku would not last through the night. Everyone that was important to Goku was there. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chaozu, Master Roshi, Oolong, Yajirobe, Karin, Kame, Mr. Popo, Puar, Bulma and her family, and Ox King and Chi-Chi. In the back of the crowd, Piccolo and Vegeta stood together, their arms folded across their chests as was the norm. Goku was happy.

"Goku, I-" Krillin tried to mutter, but a lump was stuck in his throat, "I'll miss you too much. I won't be able to go on. I wanted you to be there when I finally met someone. I wanted you to be my best man, Goku."

"I'll be there, Krillin." Goku smiled, "I'll be there with you always. Whenever you feel alone, call on me and I will comfort you."

Krillin bowed his head and stepped back.

"Goodbye, Goku." he said, tearing up.

"Goodbye, Krillin." Goku replied, emotionless.

Tien took a step forward and knelt next to Goku, who was still holding to Gohan. The three-eyed warrior closed his eyes and motioned for little Chaozu to step forward. They both began to move their mouths silently, telepathicaly communicating with Goku.

"You are the one who showed me the ere of my ways." Tien thought, "You are the one who gave Chaozu and I another chance. After all we did to you and your friends, you let us continue to be your allies. You let us fight alongside you. You let us become heroes instead of vagbonds. Thank you, Goku. You will be missed."

Goku looked over a Tien and nodded, then at Chaozu, who had broken into tears.

"Oh Goku!" he cried.

"It'll be alright, Chaozu." Goku smiled, "You've got Tien and the rest of us. That's all that matters." Goku reassurance brought a smile to Chaozu's face, one that faded when he turned away and stood by Master Roshi's side. The old master wrapped his arm wround the tiny emperor as he shed more tears than ever.

Yamcha was next.

"Goku..." he choked, "I... I've never been good at saying goodbyes. I've never truly lost someone. Of course, I never really had anyone to lose until I met you. I'd give anything to be in your place right now. Anything. You have so much more to live for."

"Don't say that, Yamcha." Goku replied, "You have a lot to live for."

"What?" Yamcha shot back, almost angered, "I don't have a family I'd leave behind! I don't have the ability to save the world from a Freeza-level threat!"

"Yes you do. All you have to do is look down inside yourself and pull out that inner-energy. You can do it, Yamcha. I can sense it within you. I always have. And what's that about not having a family to leave behind? Yamcha, we are your family. If you were lying here and I was standing there, the same people would be crying. We would miss you, Yamcha, because we love you."

Yamcha looked at Goku and took a step backward. He tilted his head to the side and thought he saw a smile shine through the pain on Goku's face. The scarred fighter quickly turned and flew home. He had some thinking to do.

Not too many of the others wanted to step forward, but Yajirobe, possibly the most cowardly of them all, faced his fears and walked over to Goku.

"Hey, buddy." Yajirobe muttered.

"Hey." Goku replied.

"Y'know, I never thought you'd die for good. I always figured I could rush in with a Senzu Bean and, if worse came to worst, we'd find the Dragonballs. But this... this was somethin' I never thought much of. Seein' you go and not come back, well, it's gonna be hard."

"They'll need you, now, Yajirobe." Goku stated, "Now more than ever, they're going to need that wit of yours and possibly your fighting skills. Why don't you ever show them what you're truly capable of? Why don't you show them the Yajirobe I've seen before. Show them the world's greatest samurai. And show them you can be strong for them."

Yajirobe's tiny eyes closed and he backed away, letting the tears roll out from under them. He backed off and let his three companions from Sky Palace step forward. Kame, Mr. Popo, and Karin all looked down at Goku. Kame began to pray, and Popo and Karin joined in, saying a prayer in a long forgotten language. Goku closed his eyes, hoping their words would let him have peace after death. And then the four of them left together, a silently as they had came.

Master Roshi and Oolong walked forward.

"Goku?" Oolong wept, "You-you can't die! It's not fair! We need you!"

"Everyone has to move on." Master Roshi sighed, "But it'll be hard. But we'll do it. I've lived for over a hundred years and I've seen people come and go. Not that I'm taking this lightly, but... heh, Goku, you were one o' the best. I love you as if you were my own son."

"Well, thanks Master Roshi." Goku smiled softly, "And Oolong, just remember, there's a lot of other heroes out there. You have your own talents, and you can help out. Be strong, my friend."

"It's just..." Oolong stuttered, "If it wasn't for you, I'd still be terrorizing that little town. I'd be feared and hated. And I'd still have all those girls at my castle. I'm not sure whather to thank you or hate you."

Goku laughed, but cringed at the end, spitting up a tiny bit of blood. Bulma stepped forward and wiped it from his mouth.

"Always cleaning up after you." she laughed.

"You were good at it." Goku responded.

"Y'know, I never thought I'd end up with Vegeta, and at first I didn't think Yamcha and me would last as long as it did. I thought you'd be the one to steal my heart. And in a way, you have. That fateful day when I ran my car into the little boy with the fish on his back and a tail jutting out of his back changed my life. I've seen the stars up close because I've flown by them. I've seen mountains destroyed by a punch because I was standing on them. I've experienced so much... and it's because of you."

Bulma began to cry. Dr. Briefs, Mrs. Briefs holding baby Trunks, and even Vegeta began to walk towards her, but Goku waved them off. He reached up with his free hand and grabbed Bulma's tearstained ones.

"Don't weep for me." he said, and she looked at him. He stared at her, shooting a look that said all the words that needed to be said. Bulma nodded and stood up. She took one last look at Goku, not knowing what the future might bring.

"I love you, Goku." she smiled, "Goodbye."

Goku waved. Chi-Chi and Ox King had said all they could earlier. She smiled over behind the crowd and recieved the attention of a certain outsider. She softly nodded and walked inside the house, taking Ox with her. The man who had gotten Chi-Chi's accepteance stepped forward.

"Mr. Piccolo?" asked Gohan.

"I'm here for you, Gohan." he muttered, his face showing no emotion, "Goku, I, like all the others, will miss you when you are gone. You were a valued member of our team and I want to thank you."

Piccolo knelt down beside Goku and whispered in his ear.

"You are the reason. You sired the boy who made me realize what I needed. What was wrong with me. I gained a purpose in life other than to destroy. To protect. Protect your son. Gohan is truly all that matters to me in this world, and I would do anything for him. You are his father, and you are dying, and this saddens him." Piccolo stopped.

"Tell me what to do."

Goku looked at Piccolo, whose face had finally shown a hint of emotion. Desperation. Piccolo wanted nothing more than to be a father to the boy he loved when the real one was gone. He would always be there for support, but Piccolo was not one to show compassion. He needed advice this time. Advice from the man who had raised that wonderful boy.

"Don't worry, Piccolo." Goku smiled, "It'll all come naturally. Being a father is like being a trainer. Just don't be too harsh and don't punch him in the face when he does something wrong. You've been like a second father to him for all these years. I don't see how you don't know how to do it. You seem to be pretty good at it already."

Piccolo saw a smile shoot through Goku's pain once again, and a faint smile shot over his own grim exterior. Piccolo was about to stand up when Goku pulled him close.

"Do one thing for me, Piccolo." Goku muttered, "Take Gohan away from here. I think you're the only thing that'll get him away. He needs to leave now. He needs to be by your side, now."

Piccolo stood up and grabbed Gohan's free hand. He looked up at Piccolo and snatched his hand back. He would not leave. Piccolo inched towards him.

"Make your peace." Piccolo said, "Then and only then can you leave."

Gohan looked at Piccolo.

"How?"

"Say goodbye."

Gohan bit his lip and looked down at his father. There was no way around it. Gohan cried and his tears hit his father's gi.

"Daddy?" he asked. His father looked up at him and smiled. Gohan bowed his head.

"Goodbye."

With that word, Gohan's hair flared up and turned gold. Gohan didn't even look up from the ground. He grabbed Piccolo's hand and they flew off. Goku watched them and his view began to haze. He thought it was a tear, but realized his body was producing no more. He was coming to the end of his life. Goku made a resolution.

"Everyone?" he spoke up, "I want to talk to Vegeta. Alone."

The group looked at Goku, and then back at Vegeta. He was still leaning against the side of Goku's house, his arms crossed and his eyes downcast, that ever-present frown stamping "Vegeta" right on his face. He looked up and saw the stares of the others.

"What?" he asked. They continued to stare, and the Saiyan prince sighed.

"Fine."

Vegeta slowly sauntered over to where Goku lay, his arms still crossed, eyes still on the ground, and the corners of his mouth still pointed down. The others looked at Goku and he nodded, causing them all to go inside the house. Vegeta looked down at Vegeta.

"What do you want?" Vegeta sneered.

"I want to thank you." Goku smiled, "For helping me realize I have the power to turn anyone around. Sure, I helped Tien, but he wanted to be helped. And Gohan got to Piccolo. But you, if it wasn't for me, you would've never met Bulma, never had a son, and never even come to Earth. You were once a murderous villain, and I helped you become a protecting hero. That makes me know my life was worthwhile. Thank you."

"No..." Vegeta muttered, unfolding his arms, "Thank you. In the past few years, I have become the man I wanted to become all along. A man free of Freeza, a man free of royal bonds, a man free of his inhibitions. You made me strive to be the best I could be, in every way. You made me what I am now. You changed my life. And Ka... Goku, I can't bear to see you go."

Vegeta opened his eyes and saw the green grass surrounding his feet. Goku noticed the tear come from Vegeta's eye and bounce off his pointed boot. It was the second time Vegeta had cried in his whole life.

"You can't die on me." he muttered, "You can't! I need you! I-I'm not strong enough on my own! I need you to live!"

Vegeta walked towards Goku, but the Saiyan from Earth held up his weak hand. Goku looked at him. Vegeta looked back and his eyes widened, the tears streaming now. He closed his eyes and looked down again, feeling his rival's energy fading fast.

"I love you, Goku." Vegeta muttered, wiping the tears, "I shall miss you."

Goku smiled.

And then he died.

When the others came out of the house moments later, they found Vegeta staring upward into the sky, and a smile on his face, one that mirrored the one found on Goku's lifeless face.  
And Vegeta was truly happy.

"Rest well, Kakarot." he whispered, "Rest well."

In front of a waterfall, Piccolo and Gohan sat in front of eachother, suspended in the air. They both snapped their heads up, no emotions on their face.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Gohan muttered.

Piccolo nodded.

"Y'know, I'm not sad. You were right, Mr. Piccolo. I couldn't really leave until I made my peace. And now I can move on. It might be hard, but I think I can do it. Daddy would've wanted it to. I'm so glad I got to say what I wanted to say. I'm so glad I got to say goodbye."

Piccolo looked at this boy whom he had helped raise and saw his eyes get hazy. Piccolo smiled at the boy.

"C'mon," he said, "Let's go back."

Five days later, the indestructable body of a warrior borne of fire had been destroyed by that very same substance. Goku's cremated remains were place in an urn and, after the memorial service, were scattered across Mt. Paozu, the place of his home. Chi-Chi and Gohan stood together, looking from the top of the mountain down to Ox King in his car.

The life-weary son looked down from the heavens, for today he had truly become a man. He had done what he had to do. He looked at his mother.

"Wanna fly?" he asked.

"Sure." she smiled, gripping him tightly. Gohan almost jumped up to fly away, but then realized what would be more appropriate. Gohan looked up towards the sky and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Flying Nimbus!" he cried, calling the cloud to him. He petted it.

"You miss him to, don't you ol' buddy?" Gohan smiled, "Well, c'mon. Let's go home." Gohan sat on the cloud and placed his mother in his lap. The Nimbus took off, leaving a trail of grass in it's stead. The laughter of mother and son could be heard echoing throughout the land.

This story is dedicated to my father, Rex.

1948-2001

I love you, daddy. I'm so glad I got to say goodbye.


End file.
